Louise

Thanks guys!

Horses12: Most people in an office environment feel comfortable going back to work on the 10th day. We don't shave our patients' recipient area and we tell our patients to actively rub off any remaining scabs/crusts in the shower on the morning of the 10th day. You may see some shed hair after rubbing but the grafts are quite secure by the 10th day. A few people will have some pinkness or redness. If this can't be hidden with existing hair, some will use makeup to camouflage the colour difference. If someone had little hair in the transplanted area it is best to use noncomedogenic (non-pimple-forming) foundation makeup to match the forehead colour. If someone has thin hair in the area, DermMatch or COUVRE or Toppik can be used. Also remember to keep your hair long enough on the sides and back to hide the sutures and the trimmed hair around the donor area. We prefer that our patients keep their hair 2 inches long there but 1 inch long hair can still hide the donor area. I hope this helps. Good Luck with your procedure!

This 49 year-old man had average diameter, salt-and pepper, wavy donor hair. He had a Norwood 5 thinning pattern and mild thinning in his temples. We transplanted 3100 FUG’s to his frontal area in one session, with a mature hairline. By sampling, he had about 22% 1s, 55% 2s, 22% 3s, and 1% 4s. He has plenty of donor hair available for the future. He used Minoxidil for the first 3 months post op, but decided not to use Finasteride. These photos were taken at his 6 month follow up appointment. We expect to see the full effect 4-6 months from now – once all of the transplanted hair has grown longer and thicker.

This patient has average diameter, dark brown, wavy hair. He had a NW 3-3A thinning pattern with a persistent forelock. He wanted to fill in and thicken the frontal third of his scalp and to avoid developing an island of hair in a sea of baldness in front. 2509 FUG’s were transplanted to his frontal area – excluding his forelock. He accepts that he will likely need to transplant his forelock in the future and may want to transplant the top after he loses more hair. Despite our encouragement he declined medical treatment to slow hair loss. These photos were taken 8 months post op.

As Dr. Simmons said in his article, it is best not to squeeze pimples. If you have a lot of pimples you should contact your own doctor for advice, examination, and treatment. Dr. Simmons feels it is OK to puncture pimples with a sterilized needle to release the pressure but you should never squeeze them. I hope this helps.

Hi Mick...Hi Megatron. Really do appreciate the positive feedback!

Thanks so much Bill.

These photographs are of a woman in her late 40s, who always had deep fronto-temporal recessions. She always wore bangs to hide her hairline. She was concerned that her hair was becoming thinner and her bangs were coving less. Her goal was to have her fronto-temporal recessions filled in and she also wanted more volume in front. She had fine, dark brown, and straight hair. She had good occipital donor hair so we limited the donor area to the back of her head. In one session, we mainly placed 1844 FUG’s into her fronto-temporal recessions and forelock while filling in the hairline a little between those areas. She now has more hair available to comb forward as bangs when she likes and is also more comfortable wearing her hair pulled back. Her video can be seen here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f5feEuk1V8A

Thanks David.....he was a good candidate with realistic expectations!

Hi Mick, Nicely designed hairline! It will look very natural when it grows in.

These photographs are of a 25 year old man, taken 10 months after a 2211 FUG hair restoration. He had a 3A-4 thinning pattern with a persistent forelock and his hair was blonde, straight and finer than average. As a young man, he understood that he could lose a lot more hair in his lifetime and accepted a more conservative hairline that would look natural after he got older and if he lost more hair. He plans to continue using Finasteride and knows he could require further hair transplantation later. He is happy with his hair and is thrilled by how natural his new hairline appears! His video is here:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z2T1Doat8Ns

Nice result Dr. Lindsey. Very natural looking.

Hi Reen3, If speaking directly with your physician is difficult....perhaps, you could email them. I am sure they would be pleased to answer any questions that you may have. You will find lots of information and support on this forum. Your clinic's postop instructions may differ slightly from what we tell our patients....but, hopefully, you will find it helpful to know that we ask our patients on days 7-9 to shower but not let the jets hit the recipient area (grafts) directly. Day 10 is when Dr Simmons feels that it is safe for our patients to shower normally. Patients can rub the crusts firmly, but are asked not to pick any of the crusts. I do hope this helps. Louise

You are in good hands. Dr. Lindsey has posted many photos of scar revisions on the site. I hope you keep us updated with your progress. Good Luck!

Hi Okay2land, Most importantly.....please follow your physicians postop instructions. Most clinics have similar postoperative routines.....with some minor differences. Having had a scar revision procedure, if possible, it would be a good idea to return to Dr Lindsey's office to have the sutures removed - he may prefer to examine the incision personally. Be extra careful during strenuous activities - lifting weights/sit ups etc.(check to see when they say it is ok to resume these activities). We ask our patients to not stretch or strain their neck or scalp until 3 months postop. I hope this helps. Louise

Thanks guys. Really do appreciate the positive feedback!

This 57 year-old man grew tired of styling his hair to intentionally conceal his hair loss. As his hair loss progressed, it became more difficult to hide his thinning. He had a NW4A- early 5A thinning pattern and a dense donor area. He had finer than average, brown, salt-and-pepper hair, which was dyed. 3012 FUG’s were transplanted to his frontal area with relatively high density to allow his transplanted hair to blend well with his strong existing hair in his midscalp. We gave him an irregular, mature hairline. He had a 2-layer trichophytic closure. These photos were taken 8 months after his hair transplant. He continues to use 1/4 Proscar per day and hopes his hair will stay just as it is.

Hi Danny1976, Numbness is common for 6 to 8 weeks but occasionally can last for months before resolving. I hope this helps.

Bhim, It is very common to have an occasional pimple in the recipient area a few weeks after surgery. Pimples may appear as the hairs begin to sprout and grow through the skin and are usually nothing to worry about. Some of them may be white on top. They can be a bit unsightly and some patients find them very irritating. We recommend leaving them alone and they usually go away after a few days. Some clinics suggest warm compresses and trying to gently expel the fluid from within. If you are experiencing more than a few at a time you should contact your HT surgeon, as there are treatments available. Can you take photos of the area that you are describing and post them? There are some excellent physicians on here that would be able to assist you better if they could see exactly what you are describing.

After the procedure is done, a crust forms on top of each graft and it is your body's healing mechanisms that secure the grafts in place. The important parts of the grafts would be underneath your skin - although you will see short hairs above the skin, as David mentioned above,"the hairs will have the appearance of a buzz cut". You would need to be very careful for the first few days as a graft could be dislodged if you accidentally bump your head. Each clinic has developed their own post operative care instructions which should be carefully followed. Generally speaking, the (frequency/chances) of losing a graft (postop) are remote if you follow your clinic's post operative care instructions. I hope this helps. Louise.

Hi Steelworker, Understandably, this can be a very exciting yet somewhat trying time for you. Once the follicles are transplanted, most will go into a resting phase and new hairs will being to grow 2-4 months postop. You will see some new hair in the first 3-6 months and your hair will begin to look fuller - by 12 months most of the transplanted hair will have sprouted and you may see some continued growth for up to 18 months postop. What you are seeing now is likely just the beginning. You can expect to see more hairs growing within the next few months. Hope you keep us all updated with your progress. Happy Growing!!

Thanks Mick!

Mick, Nice repair work!! He must be thrilled.

Thanks for the positive feedback guys!

This 29 year old patient became more concerned about his hair loss after a recent trip back home to India. He says that hair has great social importance in India and the reaction from his family and friends compelled him to do something about his hair loss. He mostly had a NW 3V thinning pattern but had early thinning in a NW 6 pattern. His hair was black and average in diameter. He did not have miniaturization in the donor area but the donor density on the sides was low. This patient accepted that he had the potential to lose more hair and that he may require further hair transplantation in the future. In the meantime, he is taking Finasteride to maintain his natural hair. His lower donor density limited us to 2472 FUG. We spread the grafts out at a light density of 30 grafts per square cm over his midscalp. He should be able to finish the front in one session if he goes on to lose that hair later. We will not transplant his crown for many years so we can be sure that he will have enough scalp donor hair for the front and sides, if he needs it. He is very happy with his hair and is joyfully planning his upcoming wedding. These photos were taken 11 months post-op.